Online programs offered by Kelley and IU schools of education and nursing highly ranked by U.S. News

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Online programs in business, education and nursing at Indiana University were ranked among the best in the nation, all ahead of other Big Ten schools, in the 2013 edition of U.S. News & World Report's Best Online Education Program rankings, released today.

The Kelley Direct online MBA program in the Kelley School of Business was third overall among more than 200 offerings nationwide. The IU School of Education was 14th overall among nearly 200 similar programs as well. Programs of the IU School of Nursing at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis were ranked 37th from among about 100.

This is the first time U.S. News has numerically ranked online programs. A year ago, it created the rankings but only listed top programs within an "honor roll."

"These rankings reflect IU's growing status as a leader in the development and delivery of quality online education," said John Applegate, IU executive vice president for university regional affairs, planning and policy. "They also suggest that we have a solid foundation in place as we launch our new IU Online education initiative, which will accelerate the establishment of even more online courses and programs at our campuses across the state and position IU as a leader in offering new modes of teaching and learning that address Indiana's most critical economic and professional development needs."

The news that Kelley had a top online MBA program wasn't unexpected. Established in 1999, it is the first online MBA offered by a school whose other MBA programs also are top ranked. Kelley's residential MBA program in Bloomington is ranked 15th overall by Bloomberg Businessweek, which also gave it No. 1 rankings for teaching, career services and student satisfaction. Its part-time evening program in Indianapolis is ranked ninth by U.S. News.

The same faculty who teach Kelley's in-residence programs teach Kelley Direct programs. The top online MBA program offers global immersion experiences similar to those offered in Kelley's residential MBA program, flexibility and access to the school's alumni network of more than 95,000 graduates.

Idalene Kesner, the Kelley School's interim dean, said she is pleased with the new online rankings and said they reflect the success in meeting the needs of a varied and diverse student demographic.

"Kelley Direct has always been on the leading edge of online business education because it is held to the same high standards as the other graduate programs at the Kelley School of Business," Kesner said. "Given Kelley Direct's successful track record, we have unparalleled perspective and experience and are pushing the boundaries of online education with our global immersion experiences and personal leadership development."

Since 1999, 1,474 students earned Kelley MBAs through the program, and about 275 people are now graduating from the program each year. The average salary of the class of 2011-12 was $104,160, a 36 percent increase over the average salary of the graduates when they began the program. More than 65 percent of graduates received a promotion while completing their MBA degree.

Kesner acknowledged the roles played by Richard Magjuka, faculty chair of corporate and executive degree programs, director of distance education and founding chair of Kelley Direct; and Eric Richards, chair of Kelley School East Asian Initiatives and another former faculty chair.

IU School of Education Dean Gerardo Gonzalez noted that his school also has been a national leader in online distance education.

"We are very proud of the leadership role our faculty has played in the development of high-quality online programs nationally," Gonzalez said. "We were one of the first major research universities studying and offering online education in what is now a commonly accepted and increasingly important mode of instruction.

"I'm delighted U.S. News & World Report is focusing attention on the field of distance education and has recognized the quality of our online programs in both of their initial annual rankings," Gonzalez added.

Online courses and degree programs began at the IU School of Education in 1999. The school began offering IU's first completely online doctorate last fall, the Ed.D. in instructional systems technology. Through IUconnectED, students can take a variety of courses to earn credentials ranging from professional certificates to master's degrees and online doctorates. IUconnectED is a Web portal that conveniently coordinates access to the school's online learning programs, including graduate-level courses and programs from the Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses.

Marion E. Broome, dean and Distinguished Professor of the IU School of Nursing, also expressed appreciation for her program's recognition by U.S. News.

"We are very pleased to be ranked with other colleges and schools of nursing -- a ranking that reflects national recognition of the excellence of our online graduate programs," Broome said. "That excellence is built on strong research programs, as well as innovative educational approaches, such as our online/distance-accessible Ph.D. program that faculty employ to prepare the next generation of advanced-practice nurses, nurse scientists and faculty.

"This ranking reflects a decade or more of extraordinary time, talent and effort investments by both faculty experts and visionary leaders in the school," Broome added. "The investments in these programs have enabled the school to expand its reach to students who desire an Indiana University education so they can make a difference in their own community."

The IU online programs earned their rank based on scores from four categories: admissions selectivity, student engagement, faculty credentials and training, and student services and technology. U.S. News compiled data from institutions that offered a master's degree through Web-based distance education courses.

Last fall, IU announced IU Online, a major strategic investment to accelerate the development and delivery of quality online courses and programs at IU campuses statewide, address Indiana's economic and professional development needs and extend the university's global reach. An initial investment of $8 million will be made over the next three years.

IU has been a pioneer in online education for the past 15 years and currently has more than 80 established programs across its campuses. A complete list of online programs offered by IU can be found at www.iuonline.edu.